Coming Out, Coming Forward

Nancy

WNYC Studios

Gay, Documentary, Society & Culture, Sexuality, Lgtbq, Lesbian, Relationships, Asian, Politics, Conversations, Storytelling, Health & Fitness, Homosexuality

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2018

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Warning: this episode discusses childhood sexual assault.

When he was a young teenager, Luke realized he had to speak up—about who he was and what had happened to him.

— Radio Rookies is a New York Public Radio initiative that provides teenagers with the tools and training to create radio stories about themselves, their communities, and their world.

— The Ali Forney Center is a community center assisting LGBT homeless youth in New York City.

Music in this episode by Jeremy Bloom and PC III ("Blue Hope"). Theme by Alexander Overington.

Transcript

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0:00.0	A content warning before we start, this week's episode discusses childhood sexual assault and suicide.
0:07.0	So, Kathy.
0:08.0	Yes, Tobin?
0:09.0	One floor up from where Nancy sits at WNYC.
0:12.0	There's this incredible team called Radio Rookies.
0:15.0	Yes, I love them. It's this small team of journalists here at the station
0:19.0	who help young people from all over New York report and produce their own radio stories.
0:23.0	Hello, I'm in a program called Radio Rookies, and I'm interviewing people about who's your first crush.
0:29.0	This is Luke. He's been working with Rookies for about four years now since he was 15.
0:34.0	He started off just interviewing his friends and classmates about totally normal teenager stuff.
0:39.0	He was ugly and short, and I don't like him.
0:43.0	Why do you have a crush on him?
0:45.0	Why? Because I didn't have a brain and it's not great.
0:48.0	But he quickly moved from reporting on middle school crushes to documenting something much more personal.
0:56.0	A story about his abusive father and later about his own process of coming out as trans.
1:02.0	Luke is incredibly candid about his experience with the justice system, with his parents, and with how he's been feeling every step of the way.
1:09.0	We're going to bring you his story today, he recorded it a year ago.
1:13.0	And just a heads up, we've changed the names of some people in this story, including Luke's name.
1:17.0	And we've bleep the names of others in order to protect their privacy.
1:21.0	So here now is Luke's story of growing up, coming out, and finding his voice.
1:32.0	With your hosts Tobin Lowe and Kathy too.
1:45.0	Growing up, I never wanted to be at home.
	...

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